Author Interview:

Maria Thompson Corley a Canadian pianist (MM, DMA, The Juilliard School) of Jamaican and Bermudian descent, with experience as a college professor, private piano instructor, composer, arranger and voice actor. She has contributed to Broad Street Review since 2008, and also blogs for Huffington Post. Her first novel, Choices, was published by Kensington. Her prize-winning poem, "Drop Your Mask," was published in New York Literary Magazine's AWAKE anthology.

After reading Corley's biography, I was so excited to learn more about her through an interview. I hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about this very talented woman and the book, Letting Go.

What is the first book that made you cry?

I think it was Charlotte's Web.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Energize! Although it does depend on my circumstances. When I'm struggling to find exactly the right words, it can be something other than exhilarating. Weirdly, I love writing about emotionally draining situations. Hmm...

Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

A big ego hurts anybody. That said, I suppose you need a bit of hubris to think you have something so very important to say that the whole world should have access to reading it.

Have you ever gotten reader's block?

Not really. There are books I find very uninteresting, but I am always interested in reading, whether it's a magazine or a newspaper or a novel. There are only so many hours in the day, and of course there are other things I like to do or have to do. But I read every day, and wouldn't have it any other way.

Do you try more to be original or deliver to readers what they want?

I just write the story I am interested in writing. That said, the end of Letting Go did change a bit because of the reaction of my first set of readers. After all, what's the point of beta readers if you aren't open to advice?

What other authors are you friends with and how do they help you become a better writer?

I'm not sure you'd know who they are. I do have one friend who may become famous, since her debut is being released by a major publisher. All of the writers who have given me advice have helped me with their constructive criticism and support. The tougher the critic, the better. I've developed a very thick skin, and I really, really want people to tell me what they think is the truth. I filter all of it to see what resonates, but even deciding which suggestions to accept and which ones to discard helps me become a better writer.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

You know, it's a process. I'm not sure my younger writing self would have developed any faster if I'd given her advice. Honestly, my main focus when I was younger was on being a musician anyway.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

Buying a laptop.

Did you base your characters on real people?

Definitely, though they are usually composites, and not always of people I actually know very well. There are some that are much closer to people I've been in contact with than others. I don't think you can have relatable characters if you don't factor in how real people behave.

What does literary success look like to you?

I'll have made it when I don't have to wonder how I'll pay the bills! Other than that, I'd love to see my book made into a movie. Then I'd love to see the movie win an Oscar for Best Picture, among other things. Why not?

I probably should have said I'd like to win a Pulitzer, but I don't care if I'm famous, particularly. Being too famous seems like more trouble than it's worth. To be honest, I feel like a successful pianist even though I'm not very well-known, simply because I have achieved a degree of very hard-won mastery over my instrument. If I can ever feel like a masterful writer, that, too, would be a wonderful success.

What's the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

I don't find it difficult, actually. Men are humans, and I love to observe human behavior. Also, since no two people are exactly alike, I feel that I have some leeway.

How many hours a day do you write?

It varies widely. I practice the piano much more than I write, in general, but sometimes the balance shifts. I actually compose even Facebook posts with a certain degree of care, so even if I only write a little bit, I try to do my best.

What did you edit out of this book?

Nothing that should have been in it. :)

If there's more to be told, I'll get to it in the sequel, which wasn't part of the original plan, but people have mentioned wanting more, so I'm thinking about it seriously.

If you didn't write, what would you do for work?

None of my jobs are “real,” at the moment. I am a concert pianist who also teaches, plays organ in church, and collaborates with various musicians (I have a DMA from Juilliard). I also do voiceovers on occasion. One of my choral arrangements is published internationally, and some of my songs have been sung internationally, too. So I'm already doing things I love. If I had to choose something I don't do now, I'd be a psychologist.

Share one little known fact about yourself.

I wore leg braces and orthopedic shoes when I was little, and I'm still pigeon-toed, especially if I'm not thinking about it. So I found it very amusing when people at Juilliard asked me if I was a dancer!

Louise Caiola, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Making of Nebraska Brown, called LETTING GO " a smart and sexy story that captures the raw essence of love. Heartfelt, haunting, tender, tough and true." Even though she lives hundreds of miles away, when Langston, who dreams of being a chef, meets Cecile, a Juilliard-trained pianist, he is sure that his history of being a sidekick, instead of a love interest, is finally over. Their connection is real and full of potential for a deeper bond, but the obstacles between them turn out to be greater than distance. Can these busy, complicated people be ready for each other at the same time? Does it even matter? Before they can answer these questions, each must do battle with the ultimate demon—fear. Told in a witty combination of standard prose, letters, emails, and diary entries, LETTING GO, in the tradition of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's AMERICANAH, is a long-distance love story that also examines race, religion, and the difficult choices we make following our passions. From the Great White North to the streets of New York City to the beaches of Bermuda, LETTING GO is a journey of longing, betrayal, self-discovery and hope you will never forget

Here are some excerpts from the novel that will make you swoon. Enjoy! :)

Now... ready to purchase it? Click here: http://amzn.to/2lwibAn

Or, if you'd like to purchase the music then click on this link. http://amzn.to/2lij9h7